Spring Dale College: Choose life, not tobacco

Since majority of tobacco addiction takes root in young age, children and youth need to be informed of tobacco-related diseases, disabilities and deaths to make a wise choice and say NO to tobacco, said Professor (Dr) Rama Kant, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General's Awardee (2005), who was a keynote discussant at the Grow Without Tobacco theme discussion at Spring Dale College in B-Block Indira Nagar, Lucknow.
Hundreds of students of Spring Dale College resolved not to use tobacco when their Principal Ms Rita Khanna appealed.

"Tobacco use is one of the main risk factors for a number of chronic diseases, including cancer, lung diseases, and cardiovascular diseases Tobacco use is one of the biggest PREVENTABLE public health threats India has ever faced" said Professor (Dr) Rama Kant, President-elect, Association of Surgeons of India (ASI) and co-patron of Citizens for Healthy Lucknow (CHL) campaign. He is the former Head of the Department of Surgery, CSM Medical University (erstwhile King George's Medical College – KGMC).

"It kills more than ten lakh people in India every year. Up to half of current users will eventually die of a tobacco-related disease. Tobacco users who die prematurely deprive their families of income, raise the cost of health care and hinder economic development" said Prof Rama Kant, who is currently officiating as the Executive Director of Piles To Smiles Clinic, C-block crossing, Indira Nagar and Professor-Director at SIPS Super-speciality Hospital, Chowk.

Speaking on oral health, Mumbai-based dental surgeon Dr Shivani Sharma said: "Tobacco is the major cause of oral cancer. Stopping all kind of tobacco consumption will certainly reduce the risk of cancer but reducing the consumption of tobacco does not reduce your risk of cancer. So stop using tobacco to prevent cancer."

"Those who have pre-cancerous lesions, should stop using tobacco and get checked by a dentist, to reduce the chance of getting oral cancer" said Dr Shivani Sharma.

"Tobacco users need help to quit. Studies show that few people understand the specific health risks of tobacco use. For example, a 2009 survey revealed that only 37% of smokers knew that smoking causes coronary heart disease and only 17% knew that it causes stroke. Among smokers who are aware of the dangers of tobacco, most want to quit. Counselling and medication can more than double the chance that a smoker who tries to quit will succeed" said Prof Rama Kant.